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God Only Knows
"God Only Knows" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys. It is the eighth track on the group's 11th studio album, Pet Sounds (1966), and one of their most widely recognized songs. "God Only Knows" was composed and produced by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Tony Asher and lead vocal by Carl Wilson. The song broke new ground in many ways. It was one of the first commercial songs to use the word 'God' in its title. As producer, Brian Wilson used many unorthodox instruments, including the French horns that are heard in the song's famous introduction. Lyrics and composition http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=God_Only_Knows&action=edit&section=1 edit This is the one song that I thought would be a hit record because it was so incredibly beautiful. I was concerned that maybe the lyrics weren't up to the same level as the music; how many love songs start off with the line, 'I may not always love you'? I liked that twist, and fought to start the song that way. Working with Brian, I didn't have a whole lot of fighting to do, but I was certainly willing to fight to the end for that. I was probably saying to myself, 'God, I hope I'm right about this,' because you're never quite sure. But I knew that it would work, because by the second part, the real meaning of the song has come out: 'I'll love you till the sun burns out, then I'm gone,' ergo 'I'm gonna love you forever.' I guess that in the end, 'God Only Knows' is the song that most people remember, and love the most." “”Tony Asher Brian Wilson has explained that the melody of "God Only Knows" was inspired by a John Sebastian song that he had been listening to. The song is reputed for its complexity, and is in the form of ABCBCDECBC'. The verses make extensive use ofinverted chords. The first chord (D major/A) is a non-diatonic chord. Every time the tonic chord (E major) occurs, it’s in its most "unstable" inversion, with the 5th in the bass. The entire verse progression sounds restless, insecure, and looking for a direction, which is representative of the lyrical themes. With the line "God only knows what I'd be without you" the chord progression finally displays confidence, moving to a clear harmonic goal (A—E/G#—F#m7—E). This has been cited by musicologists as a good example of how lyrical meaning can be supported and enhanced by a chord progression—along with the melody hook which also provides an example of "a sense of increasing melodic energy that comes by way of the gradually ascending line." Wilson "hated the opening line" of the song as "it was too negative." He eventually gave in after hearing the following lines in the song. "God Only Knows" was one of the first pop songs to use the word "God" in its title (a decision that Wilson and Asher agonized over, fearing it would not get airplay as a result). As Brian's former wife Marilyn describes, "The first time I heard it, Brian played it for me at the piano. And I went, 'Oh my God, he's talking about God in a record.' It was pretty daring to me. And it was another time I thought to myself, 'Oh, boy, he's really taking a chance.' I thought it was almost too religious. Too square. At that time. Yes, it was so great that he would say it and not be intimidated by what anybody else would think of the words or what he meant." Tony Asher also explains that he and Brian "had lengthy conversations during the writing of 'God Only Knows', because unless you were Kate Smith and you were singing 'God Bless America', no one thought you could say 'God' in a song. No one had done it, and Brian didn't want to be the first person to try it. He said, 'We'll just never get any air play.' Isn't it amazing that we thought that? But it worked, and 'God Only Knows' is, to me, one of the great songs of our time. I mean the great songs. Not because I wrote the lyrics, but because it is an amazing piece of music that we were able to write a very compelling lyric to. It's the simplicity — the inference that 'I am who I am because of you' — that makes it very personal and tender." Wilson explains that although he feared putting the word 'God' in the title of the song, he eventually agreed to keep it. He explains that he agreed to keep the word 'God' in the title firstly, "because God was a spiritual word, and secondly, because Brian and The Beach Boys would "be breaking ground." Musicians http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=God_Only_Knows&action=edit&section=8 edit *Brian Wilson — harmony and backing vocals *Carl Wilson — lead and backing vocals, twelve string guitar *Bruce Johnston — harmony and backing vocals *Hal Blaine — drums *Jesse Erlich — cello *Carl Fortina — accordion *Jim Gordon — percussion *Bill Green — flute *Leonard Hartman — clarinet, bass clarinet *Jim Horn — flute *Carol Kaye — electric bass *Larry Knechtel — Hammond organ *Leonard Malarsky — violin *Jay Migliori — baritone saxophone *Frank Marocco — accordion *Ray Pohlman — electric bass *Don Randi — piano *Lyle Ritz — upright bass *Alan Robinson — French horn *Sid Sharp — violin *Darrel Terwilliger — viola Category:1966 singles